New Delhi | A Delhi court on Friday issued a non-bailable warrant against beleaguered businessman Vijay Mallya in a case of allegedly evading summons in a FERA violation matter and warned of initiating coercive process against him.

The court observed that he had no inclination to return and had scant regard for the law of the land.

It said coercive process has to be initiated against liquor baron Mallya as he was facing proceedings in several cases and evading appearence in those matters.

Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Sumit Dass also held that Mallya’s plea, that he wanted to return to India but was “incapacitated” to travel as his passport had been revoked by Indian authorities, was “malafide” and “abuse of the process of law”.

“He has no inclination whatsoever to come to this court and appear here. He has scant regard for the law of the land,” the court said.

“Keeping in view the conduct of the accused, coercive process has to be directed against the accused. Issue a non-bailable warrant against the accused. Put up the matter for December 22,” the court said.

During the hearing senior advocate Ramesh Gupta and advocate Ajay Bhargava, appearing for Mallya, said he does not wish to file any reply to Enforcement Directorate’s response on his plea and the matter should be fixed for final arguments.

The court also said that on October 4 it had specifically noted that he could approach authorities and obtain emergency document to return to India but the situation is that he has not taken any such step.

“It appears that accused is not willing to take any steps to return to India,” the CMM said.